Wooden Set, Austrian Work, early 20th century

This exceptional wooden set of oak wood is composed of two chairs and two armchairs with carved medallions on the backrests. Medallions work in pairs. These are two sculpted portraits in profile: a woman and a man, whose Austrian hats give information about their origin. The medallions of the chairs are the exact replica of the medallions of the armchairs, but of smaller size. The files of this set are cut in the shape of volutes. Apart from these medallions and the cutting of the files, the whole is relatively simple, intimate and rustic, perfectly suitable to furnish a chalet.

This set of living room fits in the current of the Art Nouveau realistic. Artists of this style give primacy to function. Now the decor is only superfluous. Thus, three adjectives distinguish this rationalist Art Nouveau from Vegetal Art Nouveau: minimalist, geometric and purified. This aesthetic is found in the works and works undertaken by the English Arts and Crafts movement, but also in the creations of the Viennese secession. The chairs and seats in this set have been designed to be more useful than decorative. The whole is rather raw and imposing: one is far from the delicate scrolls and other rinceaux created by the artists of the ” Vegetal” Art Nouveau.